Cheruiyot Kirui, a climber from Kenya was found dead near the summit of Mount Everest on May 23, 2024.
In this context, a video has gone viral on social media in which a helicopter is seen airlifting a 'dead body'. The video is shared with a caption that reads, “Body of Kenyan Climber Cheruiyot Kirui on Mount Everest. RIP CHAMP (sic)”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video is from 2023.
On doing a Google reverse image search with the video’s screenshots, we found the video was uploaded by an Instagram user Abdi_trek on November 2, 2023, with the caption, “Long line rescue in Everest.”
Another Instagram page also uploaded the same video on March 3, 2023, suggesting that the video is of a human sling operation, a special technique involving a specialised device to hoist individuals or rescue personnel to or from the aircraft.
Although we were not able to find the source of the video, the video is not connected to Cheruiyot Kirui since it has been on the internet since 2023. Moreover, we were also not able to find any reports suggesting that Kirui’s body was recovered.
Hence, we conclude that the viral video is not connected to the death of Kenyan climber Cheruiyot Kirui on Mount Everest.